Vocabulary matters beyond reading comprehension: Evidence from a meta-analysis

• In Event: Bridging Worlds of Words: Insights from Bilingual, Multimedia, and Meta-Analytic Research

Abstract

In this meta-analysis, we systematically examined the relation of vocabulary with reading and its componential skills—word reading, reading comprehension, phonological awareness, orthographic awareness, and background knowledge. A total of 1,119 studies comprising 4,543 effect sizes from 1,464 unique samples of participants were included. Results showed positive relations with word reading (r = .39), reading comprehension (r = .54), phonological awareness (r = .37), orthographic awareness (r = .22), and background knowledge (r = .48). Furthermore, the relations of vocabulary with word reading and reading comprehension were significantly moderated by orthographic depth, developmental phase, and measurement characteristics. Together, these findings provide a deeper understanding of the relation of vocabulary with reading and its component skills and offer further directions for research.

Authors

• Julian Levine, University of California - Irvine

• Alissa Patricia Wolters, University of California - Irvine

• Young-Suk Grace Kim, University of California - Irvine